Indian racing pride and engineering prowess demonstrated
Making a mass cracker-jack out of a niche idea is hardly possible, but the grandeur of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship chronicled across all four seasons with leaps and bounds of innovations and achievements every year tells us a different story altogether. In a country where the idea of truck racing is hardly appealing, let alone racing with Indian racers, Tata Motors and its partners have worked from beyond their best abilities to stage a grand show and sustain thereafter. All these four years, they have consistently worked on not only to put a great show for enthusiasts, but equally chiselling out a strong platform to showcase talents, engineering and technological prowess, and brand promotion. The T1 PRIMA racing is, perhaps, the only event in India that demonstrates indigenous technology and racing talents every year.
The Season 4 of the T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship began with much fanfare on a rather lousy weekend at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), Greater Noida. Roaring trucks juggling to gain lead amidst one another on the track, along with scores of thrills and off-track fun are guaranteed, but we were phenomenally anticipating this season for many other reasons. One among them was the “future-ready”, “made in India” all-powerful 1,000 bhp PRIMA truck. How does this going to impact the T1 racing scene in the years to come? Is Tata equipping itself for an international onslaught at FIA truck racing events in Europe? A 12-litre engine for the first time in PRIMA range, will this trickle down into the truck’s road-going portfolio? Our minds kept boggling.
Yet another thread of excitement was the TRP 2.0 (T1 Racer Program), the second edition of the driver training program that began with the last season, which bolster up Tata’s commitment of bringing Indian truck drivers into the racing sport. It was claimed to be most comprehensive, in both terms of selection processes and rigorous training modules. Apart from new talents, the first-ever batch of Indian racers from the last season and six new racers from FIA’s European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) will also be joining the racing gala. It was a perfect confluence of talents, we murmured to ourselves. With all event partners, CV industry heads, fleet operators, and enthusiasts buckled up for the event, it was a party time for people like us!
“The Season 4 will further enable us to showcase our passion, commitment and leadership, in the Indian commercial vehicle space, as we prepare to demonstrate and introduce new innovations and new heroes on the Indian trucking and motorsports scene”, said Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, adding that the company is ahead of contemporary and is future-ready in the motorsport scene. The event kicked-off with the unveiling of the most-powerful 1,000 bhp PRIMA race truck, followed by three category of races – SUPER CLASS comprising top 10 racers from the TRP 2.0, CHAMPION CLASS represented by top 10 finalists from the TRP 1.0 (season 3), and the PRO CLASS involving 12 international drivers. The qualifying laps for all the three categories were held the previous day.
The race day was tight-packed with thrilling actions of sideway overtakes and jostling of trucks at curves, some even veering off the track to snuggle the gravel. In the SUPER CLASS category, 29-year-old Pitambar won his first professional race. He was followed by Shivnihal Singh (40) and Gurujant Singh (33) to finish second and third positions respectively. All the three racers hailed from the State of UP. In the SUPER CLASS grouping, 29-year-old Nagarjuna from AP retained the crown by finishing the race first once again this year. He championed the last season race as well, when the Indian drivers were trained and inducted into the racing for the first time. Malkeet Singh of UP and Bhag Chand of Rajasthan finished the race as first and second runner-up respectively.
The last two races of the day saw international racers competing each other in the PRO CLASS category. David Vrsecky from Czech Republic secured the trophy in the final race consisting of 15 laps, who also set the fastest lap this season. He represented the Dealer Daredevils team. The first runner-up was Nobert Kiss of Team Tata Technologies, whose 7th position start was overturned by his power-packed overtakes and manoeuvres. Gerhard Korber of Dealer Warriors finished the race as the second runner-up.
Engineering perceptions on trucking
Trucking as a profession in India is neither lucrative nor looked upon, while truck drivers toil in harsh working conditions owing to poor infuse of technologies and lack of dignified image for the profession, both on road and in society. The market and trucking industry is expanding like never before, but there is a huge shortage for qualified drivers, pointing out to the structural deficiencies within the industry. Tata Motors and its partners to the racing event seems to have realised that. “What makes the T1 PRIMA Championship all the more fulfilling is the sense of purpose it brings, not only to the motorsports scene, but how it ties into the Indian commercial vehicles industry and more importantly to the profession of truck driving”, said Vicky Chandhok, Mentor of the T1 Racing Championship.
The T1 Racing Program, in all its entirety, tries to address this deplorable scenario of trucking in India, apart from simply training the participants for a racing event. It seeks to achieve a dual objective of promoting truck driving as a dignified and skilful career, and improving the trucking experience of the end user by showcasing world-class technologies and engineering, which are developed indigenously for low-cost applications in India. It uses the clout of motorsport as a mascot to promote trucking, letting off the profession from a diminutive, utility-based to a fun-filled, passion-based activity. The TRP is the world’s first truck racing program involving regular truck drivers from non-racing backgrounds, thereby inculcating racing talents within the local community.
“The response from the truckers for a race seat was enormous, not just from the PRIMA-owned fleets and their drivers, but also from those fleets that are not Tata”, said Mr. Ravi Pisharody. It is a life-changing opportunity for the truck drivers, claims the company, which received over 1000 applications from across the country for the TRP 2.0, under the new theme of ‘Junoon-e-Trucking’. “Through TRP, we are confident of equipping Indian drivers to excel in the sport and in their respective professions”, said Mr. R.T. Wasan, Vice President, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, also adding that customers have played a critical role in making TRP a success and evolving it to greater heights year by year.
In fact, the Indian drivers did steal the show, that their cruising skills and manoeuvrability thrilled the spectators. “A majority of the finalists from both TRP 1.0 and TRP 2.0 are well-qualified for the PRO CLASS races meant for the FIA professionals”, said Mr. Karun Chandhok, a key professional partner for the racing program. The lack of opportunities and access to motorsport remains to be the key barriers for every ‘aam-aadmi’ Indians from shining in international racing. There is no dearth of talents here, something that is quite evident in the T1 PRIMA racing.
Four years back when Tata Motors came up with the truck racing, we all knew that it is a fun-filled sport, but we hardly realised its true potentials as a springboard for indigenous talents and truck making for the international standards. It is a great feat on part of the company in sustaining and innovating the show every year on and on, with exclusive R&D engineering and technologies fused into the PRIMA, while also cultivating racing talents from the grass-root level in the domestic trucking industry. That’s precisely what’s behind the overwhelming reception of the event among all stock of people in the industry – auto makers, suppliers, fleets and end-users, drivers, enthusiasts, etc. This platform expands opportunities for all stakeholders, also engendering structural changes in both the trucking industry and motorsports in India. So, happy racing!!
T1 – A growing global spectacle
Amidst all the adrenaline-rush and the pulsating action on the race track, we caught up with the face of Tata Motors’ CV business, Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, to understand more about why the company embarked on the T1 journey and how the event has grown into a global spectacle in a short period of four years.
Here are excerpts from what Mr. Pisharody had to say:
On the purpose of the T1 event
T1 Prima Racing was about conveying to the world including our global competitors that we can make products on par or even better that what they have made and also to ensure that their ability to come to India and say ‘we offer superior technology’ was scuttled.
On the evolution of T1
The first edition of T1 was good; the second year was a slight improved event; in the third year, we realized that we needed an Indian involvement to make it more sustainable which is why we brought in Indian drivers; that worked very well and gave us a lot of confidence. At the same time, we are getting a lot of international interest for the event; the one thing that was not comparable with international race trucks was the engine horse power, so that’s why we’ve brought in the 1040 bhp truck. We are not in a rush to start racing with it yet. The testing results and trial runs have been very encouraging and we look forward to getting it on the racing track in the coming years.
On growing global interest for the event
Our international distributors have been extremely interested in the event. After being part of the first edition, they had come back with journalists in the second and third editions. This year, they have formed a team which goes to show the growing international interest towards the event. Prima is now being sold in global markets so the international audience can also relate to the product; it makes them more involved in the race and the whole event. We can take the event outside India, say for instance to a place like Dubai; it is possible but as of now we have not made any plans yet.
Future-ready 1,000 bhp
T1 PRIMA race truck ‘Power and Pride’
Tata Motors seemed totally uncanny last month, starting with its rather supernatural revelation of first-ever sportscar TAMO Racemo. Before we recover from that startlement, the homespun company showcased the all-new ultra-powerful 1,000 bhp T1 PRIMA race truck at the Season 4 event! Built to match the standards of international race trucks under FIA in Europe, the behemoth truck hints at the brand’s scaling-up dreams and capabilities not just in the T1 and sport of truck racing, but also in the commercial vehicles space in India. The truck is, perhaps, the most-powerful truck in India ever, churning out 1,040 bhp of power at 2600 rpm and 3500 Nm of max torque at 1600 – 2200 rpm. It tore-apart the Grand Stand Straight at BIC with a whooping acceleration of 0-160 kmph within 10 seconds, finishing a record lap in 1:35:06 seconds, beating the regular T1 PRIMA race trucks by over 15 seconds!
Visually, this truck is the most graceful PRIMA ever, hiding its brute attitude inside a pleasant serenity. The T1 PRIMA cab has been extensively modified with low-slung bumper, tweaked side styling and a re-worked roll cage. Loads of weight-reducing measures are apparent. The chassis bores additional reinforcements to the frame for enhanced structural rigidity, while the pneumatic shock absorbers get 3 adjustment and displacement sensors for extreme performance. Inclined (slipping mode) bucket racing seat, along with a detachable steering wheel positioned with 20-degree castor angle are in place for better driving and cornering abilities, while the touch-screen driver information system is also a new addition.
Developed along with Cummins Inc, the 1,000 bhp PRIMA is powered by a 12-litre (11.8 litre) 6-cylinder turbocharged engine. Weighing just over 850 kg (dry), the motor is longitudinally placed, almost over the center of the chassis for a balanced weight distribution over the axles, protruding far outside the cab unlike the regular T1 PRIMA truck. To withstand high pressure and temperatures at full scream, additional cooling fans and water spray nozzles are in place to cool the radiator and intercooler. The 16-speed manual gearbox with hydraulic assisted gear shifting is sourced from ZF. Interestingly, a fully-electronic (Wi Fi enabled) engine diagnosis system that can be remotely accessed is also in place.
On the braking front, WABCO has furnished the powerful PRIMA truck with single-piston Air Disc Brakes (ADBs) that offer more balanced and secured braking, in addition to ABS, Integrated Pedal Unit (IPU), and advanced air actuation systems. Air pressurised water sprinklers fed by 3 aluminium tanks (unlike 2 in 400 hp PRIMA) with a total capacity 180 litres of water cool the exhaustively heated brake discs, while slick-type smooth tread tyres sourced from JK features extra reinforced steel belts and dual layer tread compound.
This crazy truck is more than just a showpiece, as it seems quite apparent that a vision of PRIMA participating in international trucking events in the years to come is on the making. Although Tata Motors is tight-lipped on this, the 1,000 bhp truck project is likely to get a boost in the upcoming seasons of T1 PRIMA racing as well. The first 12-litre engine on a PRIMA, again, opens a whole lot of opportunities for the company in the international trucking market.
“We are honored to be a key technology partner to Tata Motors for its T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship, which is India’s premier truck racing event. This unique occasion provides us with an excellent platform to demonstrate the high performance of WABCO’s advanced safety technologies on the race track, which represents the most extreme operating conditions for heavy duty trucks.”
– Mr. Jacques Esculier, Chairman and CEO, WABCO
“WABCO INDIA is immensely proud of its partnership of more than 50 years with Tata Motors as a preferred supplier of world-class safety and efficiency technologies. Being a partner to the T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship is a natural progression which takes our relationship to the next level.”
– Mr. P. Kaniappan, Managing Director, WABCO India Ltd.
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“We are proud and privileged to be associated with the T1 Racing event for all the editions since its inception in 2013. Castrol has partnered Tata Motors for almost three decades and have worked closely with them in developing oils suitable for Indian conditions. The Castrol Vecton, our lead lubricant that has been co-engineered with Tata Motors, is used in these 400 bhp trucks and has also been tested on the 1040 bhp truck. What we sell commercially is also what we use for racing and that’s the motive with which we are working.”
– Mr. Rajeev Govil, VP – OEM and Workshop, Castrol India Ltd.
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“JK Tyre has been associated with Tata Motors for over four decades and we have always looked forward to challenges to be able to create something different, so it was an honor for us to be part of the racing event. Racing is a different world altogether but fortunately since JK is a pioneer in car racing in the country, we could understand the requirements and come up with the right kind of products for truck racing. I think everyone including the European drivers is very happy with the performance of our tyres and in fact, the British drivers have even taken some tyres from us for their races in the UK. It has been a very interesting journey for us and I’m sure this racing event has become a world-class event and is going to get bigger and better in the coming years.”
– Mr. V.K. Misra, Technical Director, JK Tyre
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“We are proud to collaborate with the T1 Truck Racing Championship that goes a long way in not only strengthening our long standing partnership with Tata Motors, but also in demonstrating our technology leadership by putting our technologies to test under extreme conditions. Tata Motors is synonymous with the trucking arena in India and this event is another opportunity to partner with the market leader in this space.”
– Mr. Anant J. Talaulicar, Chairman & Managing Director, Cummins India Limited
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“Tata Technologies has been an integral part of the T1 Racing Championship and every time the race has stretched its boundaries, we have been there to support it. Light weighting was our focus for last year’s race and this year, we’ve made the truck 11 per cent further lighter by optimizing the use of parts on the truck. Also, our team at Jamshedpur, along with our leadership team, has been involved in the development of the new technology demonstrator at this year’s event – the 1040 bhp truck. We can be called the system integrator and have contributed towards the stability, the sensors and the overall packaging of the vehicle.”
– Mr. Samir Yajnik, President Global Delivery and COO – Asia Pacific, Tata Technologies Ltd.
Pit Stop to the rescue….
Cruising trucks may steal every bit of our attention in the T1 PRIMA racing, but the phenomenal role played by the pit crew seems as important as the driver himself.
Soon after the first race in the PRO CLASS category got over, the trucks of all the six teams entered the pit lane for a squeaky halt, with smoky wheels, severed bumpers and side skirts, and damaged rims. Groups of men and women standing completely still thus far inside their respective garages, sprinted towards the trucks and entered into quick action. They have got little time to spruce-up the race machines before the commencement of the next race.
The pit crews, consisting of 10-15 mechanics and engineers for each team, swing into their designated jobs including refuelling, inspecting leakages in the water tanks that feed brake disc sprinklers, new tyre replacement, tinkering dents and damages to the body parts, and any mechanical and in-cabin adjustments if necessary. This may sound easy, but amid a cheering crowd of media persons, special invitees, and others flocking back and forth the pit lane to get a glimpse of Bollywood scion Akshay Kumar, they constantly straddle between ticking clock and effective restoration of the truck. Although drawn in from different companies like Tata Technologies, JK Tyres, Wabco, etc. the crew works in perfect harmony with one another and exhibit consistency, staying clear of any high-drama, mistakes, or floundering. When there is a heavy smoke, a crew guy pops in from nowhere with a fire extinguisher. Good job, bro!
What made us wonder is how far will this level of sophistication in truck maintenance procedures, using extensive tools and techs, trickle down to level of fleet operators in the country. For instance, replacing a truck’s wheel in less than 3 minutes using specialised hydraulic axle lifts and electric bolt fasteners. Or the digitised engine diagnosis system using an on-board computer in the trucks. How great the impacts of such technological infusion be on the lives of thousands of truckers and maintenance crew across the country? Changes in that direction are pretty eminent, but the industry does need a chain of catalysts at every levels to frack all-through the grass-root level.
“It’s a great feeling to have won my very first race here in India. I have taken part in truck races in Europe, Brazil and China, and to race here was a great experience. I’m happy to see such a fantastic truck from Tata Motors and I hope in future we can have racers from around the world fight it out on the track. It’s my first time in India and I look forward to coming back again next year.”
– David Vrcesky, Winner, Pro Class Category
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“It was a fantastic experience to win here, especially with no other truck seen behind me at the finish line! The T1 Racer Program was a great learning experience for me and I thank Tata Motors for the unbelievable opportunity. I request Tata to conduct the event every year for my driver brothers so that we can, may be, form an Indian truck racing team and compete in international races in future. I will not be here without my employer, so I thank him very much too.”
– Pitambar, Winner, Super Class Category
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“I was so happy to have won last year’s race; this year, it was very tough because it was a Champion Class with last year’s best drivers competing. To have come first in this race is another ‘dream come true’ moment for me. We all have learnt a lot through the T1 Racer Program for which I would like to profusely thank Tata Motors, my company Shekar Logistics and the outstanding driver trainers for all their support, motivation and training. My life changed after the racing event last year; it is quite difficult for men to get a suitable bride in my hometown Kesarpalli, but I got married after winning last year’s race! Along with me, my whole family is very happy.”
– Nagarjuna, Winner, Champion Class Category
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“I had a good experience on the track; in fact, this was the first time I was racing on a right hand drive truck which was my main challenge. The Tata Prima is a good truck and I enjoyed racing around with it. We had to keep in mind certain things like braking late, but more important was to steer straight and reach top speed as soon as possible on the straights. I’m really proud about the fact that I’m the first lady truck driver to race in India. I will always be the first one but I hope I’m not the last!”
– Stephanie Halm, First woman truck racer in T1
By Dhiyanesh Ravichandran & N. Balasubramanian